Folding seat for schools



2 Sheets-sheet 1..

(N6 Model.)

W; SHRIVER. y FOLDING SEAT FOR SCHOOLS, THEATERS, (Sw.`

Patented Mar. 14, 18937.

. W. SHRIV'ER.

FOLDING SEATPOR soHooLs, THEATERS, am.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.,

Patented-Mar. 14, 1893.

WIT/VESSES:

C?S Arm/mn.

UNiTn-n STATES PATENT Ormea.

TVILLIAM SHRIVER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING SEAT FOR SCHOOLS, THEATERS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 493,452, dated March 14, 1893.

Application filed July 3, 1890. Serial No. 357,688. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SHRIVER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Folding Seats for Schools, Theaters, zito., which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in folding seats for schools, theaters, te., and consists:t`1rst, of mechanism substantially as described for automatically folding the seat when unoccupied.

It further consists of the combination of parts hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 represents a partly sectional and partly side view of a device embodying my invention, the seat being folded, or in closed position. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view ou line w, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows Fig. 1 or upward. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of part of the bar which holds the coil spring for controlling the seat. Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of the securing nut with cams for locking the seat and casting together. Fig. 4.a represents a side elevation of a lug provided with projecting lips, and which is adapted to enter a nut, and thereby secure together the casting and seat. Fig. 5 representsa perspective view of a portion of the device. Fig. 6 represents a modification, showing thestud for holding the spring bar, in a different position. Fig. 7 represents a perspective view ot' the portions of the joint, the parts being separated. Fig. 8 represents asectional view thereof, on the line w, w, of Fig. 7, the parts being connected instead of separated,as shown in said Fig. 7, Fig. 9 represents a perspective view of the opposite face ot the reinforce plate from that shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 10 represents a perspective view of a portion of the opposite side of one of the castings from that shown in Fig. 7.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings: 1 designates a seat which is attached to the plate or movable casting 2 by means of the lugs 3, formed on said casting and adapted to be inserted in the openingtin the movable nuts or blocks 5,which latter have their necks 6 screwed in openings 7 of the seat. The nuts 5 are provided with the angular projections 5X on their outer faces, so as to be readily rotated by means of a suitable wrench, and have the passages 8 on their inner faces between the cams 10 for the passage of the lips 9 on the sides of the lugs 3. Said lips extend longitudinally on opposite sides of said lugs, and are of such width as to pass through said passages 8, and have their ends in contact with the cams 10 formed on the inner face of the nut. When the lug has been inserted in the nut, so that the lips have passed through the passages between the cams, the nut is rotated, and as it enters the seat, the cams move against the ends of the lips, thereby drawing the lug with the casting toward the seat, thus binding them together, and yet permitting their separation when desired, by a reverse movement of the nut. One end of the casting 2 is provided with an opening 11, and one side thereof has a circular recess or groove 12 surrounding the edge or wall of the said opening, and also a pin or stud 13. On the other side of the casting is a circular groove 14, surrounding the wall of the opening 11, and having the partition Walls 15 in opposite portions thereof.

16 designates a stationary casting or plate having at one end any suitable means whereby it may readily be secured to the back of a desk, or other suitable support. The other end of the casting 16 is pivotally secured to the casting 2 by means of a boss or ange 20, which projects from one side thereof, and its in the opening 11 of the casting 2. Adjacent to the boss 20 and on the casting 16 are the lugs 21 of pyramidal form, arranged in pairs on opposite sides ot' the boss, and inserted in the groove 14 on each side of the walls 15. The boss 2O is pro vided with the radial grooves 22 having inclined walls adapted to receive or seat the ends of the lugs 23 of the angular and depressed portion 24 of a plate 25, the said plate being in contact with a washer 28 having an angular opening therein and which is seated on the wall 1lX of the groove 12 of the casting 2, and having its lugs 23 which enter the opening 11 interlocked with the end of the boss 20 of the casting 1G, whereby the said plate 25 and casting 16 though on opposite sides of the casting 2 are locked together. A screw 26 or screw -threaded bolt passes .through the boss 20, and an opening in the depressed or conntersunk portion 24 of the plate 25, and has a non-rotatable nut 30 on its end within the countersunk portion of the plate 25. By these means a pivotal joint is formed between the castings2 and'16 which permits a play of the seat from a perpendicular to a horizontal position, and a return movement thereof.

To automatically fold the seat out of use the following described mechanism is ernployed. Adapted to work in an opening 31 ina flange 32 of the plate 16 is a bar 33 having an eye 34 at one end which engages the stud 13 on the plate 2. A- coil spring 35 encircles the bar 331and bears against the iiange 32 and a collar 36 on the said bar, so as to canse the bar 33 to bear against the stud 13 and thus raise the outer end of the seat. The bar 33 below its collar 36 is provided with theribs37, which strengthens the bar Without the addition of much metal. thereto, and at the same time affords a larger or wider support for said' coil spring 35.

A spring 38 connected with theplates2 and 25 and adapted to bear against either one of the shoulders 39 on the plate 25 serves to prevent a-sndden stoppage of the seat at the end of its movement in either direction.

It will be seen that the spring 35 serves to keepthe seat raised or folded except when pressed down; and that the lugs 21 which are in the groove 14 limit the further play or movement of the seat in either direction by reason of the partition walls 1:5 in the groove 14 coming in contact therewith. When the parts'are in position, the inner face of the plate 25is in contact with the end of the stud 13, thereby preventing the removal of the bar 33 therefrom until the screw 26 is removed, and the plate 25 and casting 16 separated.

When it is desired to remove the seat from the casting 2, the nuts 5 are turned until the passages 8 coincide with the lips 9 of the lugs 3, when the seat can be readily removed from the lugs and casting. By removing the screw 26 from the plates 2 and 16, and raising the depressed portion of the plate 25 out of the opening in the plate 2, and then moving the said plate 25 out of the way of the stud 13, the casting 16 and the bar 33 can be readily disconnected therefrom. The plate 25 serves as a reinforce plate to the plate 16 in forming the joint with the plate2, and being on the oppositelsideot' the said plate 2 from the plate 16, in connection with the screw 26 and its nut, serves to hold the said parts firmly together. By placing the stud 13 as shown in Fig. 6, the force of the spring 35 can be transferred by suiliciently lowering the seat, to the opposite side of the pivotal connection, so that the seat can be held down by the tension thereof, until lifted so that the stud is past the line of the spring, and joint. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the plate or casting.

i2 having the opening 1l and the stud 13, the

plate 16 with boss or ange 20, the plate 25 with depressed portion 24 engaging the boss 20 and locking said plates 16 and 25 together,

the screw 26, a bar at one end engaging the 1stud 13 and having acoil springthereon bearing against a collar on the bar and a iange ror ear of the plate 16 through which the bar works, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the plate 2 with an opening 11 therein, a groove 14 surrounding :said Opening and having partitions therein',

the casting 16 havingthe boss y20fwith radial ,grooves on its inner end, a plate having a spring connected with the casting 2, and havving a depressed portion provided with'lugs,

the latter entering said opening 1l, and engaging in the grooves of the bossthereby locking the said castings 16 and plate 25 together, lugs 2l on said plate 16 projecting in said groove 14 and the fasteningscrew 26 passing through said castings and plate, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a stationary casting,

4. The combination ofl astationary casting, a movable casting having a pivotal connection therewith, a reinforce plate connected with the stationary casting, and having the shoulders 39 thereon, a spring connected with the stationary and movable castings, and

and a spring connected with the movable casting and the reinforce plate, which is held rigidly in connection with the stationary casting, the said spring being adapted to bear against the latter, so as to retard the action of the movable casting at or near theend of its travel, substantially as described.

5. A movable casting having an opening therein, a reinforce plate having shoulders thereon, a stationary casting having a boss interlocking with lugs on the said plate, and a spring connected to the movable casting and to the plate, and adapted to bear against either of the shoulders thereon, said parts being combined substantially as described.

WILLIAM SHRIVER.

Witnesses:

J onN A. WIEDERSHEIM, Roer. AIToN.

.adapted to operate the said movable casting, f 

